Trafford bucked a national trend as the number of pubs in the area remained stable in spite of the impact of coronavirus, figures suggest.

It comes as the number of boozers across England and Wales, which is now believed to be less than 40,000, reached the lowest on record.

According to figures, from commercial real estate advisors Altus Group, there are 86 pubs in Trafford.

This is the same as in March 2020, when the first restrictions were imposed as a result of coronavirus.

It is a stark contract to the North West as a whole, where around 110 pubs disappeared in the same period, and nationwide, where around 200 pubs were lost in the first six months of this year alone.

The total of less than 40,000 in England and Wales is the lowest on record.

The most significant sources of pressure in the North West were lockdowns, but demand also took a hit as cautious customers chose to remain at home to try to avoid the virus.

In recent times, the cost of living crisis is taking its toll as well, with a little more than a third of businesses across the hospitality industry believed to be in profit at the moment.

Messenger Newspapers: Trafford Park HotelTrafford Park Hotel

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "When pubs are forced to close it's a huge loss to the local community, and these numbers paint a devastating picture of how pubs are being lost in villages, towns and cities across the country.

"As a sector we've weathered the hardest two years in memory, and we now face the challenge of extreme rising costs.

"It’s essential that we receive relief to ease these pressures, or we risk losing more pubs year on year."

Although the number of pubs in the area remained stable, the future of some former pubs is still up in the air some time after their closures.

One of these is the Robin Hood, which closed in 2018 and has become the subject of a bid by a collective of residents who want to reopen it.

Meanwhile the Trafford Park Hotel, which closed in the late 2000s, has seen a series of owners attempt to turn it into apartments, with the latest application still under consideration by Trafford Council.